How to hand milk a goat is one of the most difficult things to try to explain in words, let alone in a video. It’s one of those “you have to do it and feel it for yourself” type of things. Explaining how to move your hands and where…it’s hard. But, I decided to give it a try anyway, and finally recorded a “how to hand milk a goat” video for my Youtube channel. Don’t be discouraged if you go to milk for the first time and you get it all over your hands as opposed to the bucket. It will come to you. Also a little trade secret, it is OKAY TO CRY. I have done my fair share in the past 
But, once you get the hang of it, it’s pure magic.
Every goat is different, as is their behavior on the milk stand and how they milk. Are their teats large or small? How big are your hands? Are their orifices small or normal? How defined is the medial ligament, affecting teat positioning? The more you milk, the more you get a feel for what works for you as well as your particular goat you’re milking.
Ruby for example is a saint on the stand as long as she has food and is still hungry. But, once she has had her fill, I have a very short window of opportunity to finish. As evident in this video, I was talking and showing things rather than going about my usual brisk pace milking. Usually, I beat her. So due to my slower pace, she got a little fed up and wouldn’t stand well for me anymore. This is just how it is with her, and I know that going into it. Thankfully, when she is preoccupied and happily eating, as you can see she is an absolute angel and I love milking her.
Please excuse the last few minutes where my head is partially cut off. Unfortunately, I have to record these videos myself and sometimes I don’t get the camera placement right!
Additional posts that you may find helpful related to this include the design for the goat milk stand, how I process the milk post milking, and why I went with goats for home dairy in the first place.
P.S – I ended this milking with a half gallon on a 12 hour udder for inquiring minds!
Happy Milking,
Last spring my dream of having my own dairy goat in milk came true. I welcomed home Audrey, a second freshener Nigerian Dwarf who sadly lost her kids at birth. I milked Audrey at my friend Angelas the night I brought her home and she was a dream on the stand. She would give the occassional foot stomp, but that was it! She stood like a champ and quietly munched on her grain while I emptied her udder full of creamy milk.
I brought her home afterwards and was already looking forward to waking up the next morning to head down to my own barn, bucket in tow and milk her on my stand. Well, morning came, the bucket was in tow, and what ensued was total chaos! Bronco bucking, kicking, handstands, at one point she actually sat down! Who was this goat and what did she do with Audrey?! I couldn’t even touch her. I was frustrated to the point of crying and didn’t understand what was wrong with her and why this was happening to me. I called the woman who lives up the street from me and asked her to come down to help me and hold her legs. It was ugly and stressful, certainly not the romanticized vision I had in my head. But, we got the job done. That night she came to help again, and then only a mere two days later I was milking her solo without issue. So, how did I get to that point?
Looking back it was pretty naive of me to think that I would be able to bring home a three year old doe who had just left her home, put her with a new herd, on a new milk stand with a new person milking and think that it would be easy. Duh. I knew she would have to adjust, but I definitely underestimated it. Live and learn! Through my experience there are some things that I learned I will keep in my back pocket, because this surely won’t be the last time this will happen. I am by no means an expert on the topic, but I can certainly give some pointers that worked for me and if you’re in a similar situation, will hopefully work for you!
Patience of a Saint
There is no way I can possible stress this point enough. You need the patience of a saint. Goats are incredibly intelligent and intuitive animals and they can sense when you’re stressed. If you’re stressed and/or frustrated with her, you’ll only transmit that negative energy to her. Initially give yourself plenty of time to milk. Depending on if you’re an experienced milker or not, it may take you twenty to thirty minutes to actually milk her out. So give yourself forty five minutes or so to account for her acting up, and taking things slow. Whether this means you have to wake up earlier, or take a shower at night rather than the morning, do it because if you’re rushed you’ll be impatient. I am so grateful I picked her up right before the weekend, so I could really take my time and not be worried about running into issues and being late for work.
Associate the Milk Stand with a Pleasant Experience
It is crucial at first for her to associate the milk stand with a good experience. Otherwise, she won’t want to go on willingly, and when you do muscle her up you’ll be fighting her the whole time she is up there. I like to set the mood before even putting her on the stand. I play calm classical music when I first get in the barn and let her out of the stall to mosey around. Eventually she makes her way over to the stand and hops up for grain. When you first get her on the stand you don’t want to jump right into the milking. Pet her, brush her, clean her udder then pet her some more while she is eating. Then start milking while speaking softly and telling her what a good girl she is. Take breaks if she starts kicking or bucking, then start again when she’s calmed down. Going slow and not rushing the process is key initially. You need to be firm and show her who is boss when she tests you, but stay calm and collected. And always make sure you end on a good note!
Lift a Leg to Milk
If you take anything away from this post, make it this. Milk with a leg up. Not only does this give you easier access to the teat, but it really keeps her from kicking. They make hobbles, but think about it: both legs are still down on the stand. Even though they’re connected, she can still launch her back legs up and hop like a bunny. If you hold a leg up, she is trying to stabilize herself and keep balance with that one leg making it way more difficult for her to hop around. Now she still may, but it’s more of a short hop rather than a full on kick. It’s much more manageable, and a heck of a lot easier to milk rather than trying to tame a two legged bucking doe! Because Audrey has a young and tight udder, this will be how I milk her normally because it gives me free and clear access to her teat without her leg getting in the way. When I dump the milk, I put her leg down to give her a break and then lift it again when I’m ready.
Frequently Dump the Milk
Now this tip is more for you than for her. Always have another container away from the stand to dump your milk into and do it frequently. It’s inevitable you will get a foot in your bucket/jar/measuring cup at some point, so it’s better that you dump it regularly so if/when it happens you don’t have to throw away half of your day’s milk. Because when it does happen (and the likelihood of it happening is certainly higher with a kicking and jumping doe) you will be mad, and it will only frustrate you further making the situation worse.
Lavender Essential Oil
This one I didn’t personally try because I literally ran out of lavender essential when I had brought her home. But, I strongly suspect that it would work, and if not it certainly won’t hurt! Pure lavender essential oil is renowned for its calming and soothing effects. So, if you dab a couple drops around her collar before putting her on the stand it, or even put it in a diffuser it will allow her to breathe it in and (hopefully) calm her down and put her at ease.
By living by all these tips I went from being in tears that first morning not knowing how I was going to make this work, to essentially stress free milking and singing happily by the end of the weekend. If you are having the same struggle, it is going to take time and patience. There are no shortcuts, but there are things you can do to help. How much time depends on the goat, and if she has ever been milked before or is a first freshener. Have you ever milked a stubborn goat? What worked for you to help tame her?
When you own goats, a milk stand proves to be an invaluable piece of equipment. Whether you’re milking or not, it can be used for trimming hooves, giving shots, drawing blood, and performing ultrasounds. It also makes a pretty good place for your barn kitten to eat her food in peace so the puppy doesn’t bother her. Well… as much.
Purchased goat milk stands are wildy expensive, and honestly, I’m not all that impressed with them. Unless you pay someone to build you one, they come pretty standard size. I however, am not standard size, so these milk stands are too short for me which makes milking and trimming hooves uncomfortable. They also are meant for a certain sized goats, so “for nigerian dwarfs” or “for nubians”. But, what if you’re like me and you have both? This simply was not going to cut it for me. So, naturally I bribed by husband and he built me a customized goat milk stand that suited my needs. Did I mention that it was made out of scrap? So yes, a highly functional milk stand was made out of scrap wood we had lying around and it ended up saving us several hundred dollars. And it’s better! I have used this stand now for about a year for milking, trimming hooves, shots, and ultrasounds. It has served me quite well for all of my goats, and there is quite literally nothing about it I would change.
Now, let me be clear this post is not a “how to build a goat milk stand”. I am not a wood worker, and I am not going to walk you through step by step how my husband cut the angles, etc. This merely is a guide that gives the dimensions and little creative ideas to guide you to build your own.
Design Points and Dimensions
When designing the stand, I essentially took all of the dimensions from my friend Angela’s metal stand and then changed them based on some of her suggestions from using it and to suit my needs. Being about 5’10”, her 14″ tall stand was far too short for me to comfortably sit or kneel by. So, I made it taller so I wouldn’t have to hunch down over. The other major issue was that the feeder on hers was at a fixed height. It was an ideal height for Nigerian Dwarfs, but uncomfortably low for a Nubian. So, the challenge was to make the height of the feeder adjustable depending on what size goat was being milked. Specific dimensions of the overall stand are:
-Height from floor to top of the base: 18.5″Height from top of the base to top of the stanchion: 39.5″
-Overall Height from floor to top of stanchion: 58″
-Dimensions of the base (where goats stand) : 20″ wide x 42″ long
-Distance between opening of stanchion when closed: 4″
-Distance from top of base to 1st feeder position (cleat): 12″
-Distance from top of base to 2nd feeder position (cleat): 18″
Confused yet? Okay, maybe these additional photos will help you out:
This little number here pictured above is referred to as the “stanchion”. This is actually where the goat’s head will go through in order to eat, allowing you to lock it in and go on with your business. The photo (left) shows the stanchion in the closed position. So in this position the goats head is in and it’s eating away. The inside distance between the two wooden bars is 4″. This is plenty of distance for the goat to not be strangled or uncomfortable in any way, but it also prevents her from being able to pull her head back out. The photo (right) shows the stanchion in the open position. This is the position the stanchion is for the goat to get her head in and out of the locked position.
The wooden bar on the left is in a fixed vertical position while the one on the right is hinged to move left (to lock them in) and right (to open). The bolt at the top fits into a hole that goes through the cross beam as well as the hinged wooden bar to lock it into place. Most milk stands have this bolt on the outside of the stand, but I felt it made more sense to have it on the inside. I mean, that’s the side I’m always on so it made more sense to me?
I have to give credit to my husband, because he really was thinking “in the future” when building this. The existing 4″ opening for the stanchion in the locked position works for my existing herd. But, you never know what will happen down the road. The purchased metal milk stands have different positions that you can lock the stanchion in to make the opening narrower or wider. Basically, he created the same effect with the right hinged wooden bar by offsetting the hole (left photo below) to the right. So that if I need to have a wider opening, there is available room to the left of it on the wooden bar (right photo below) to drill a second hole for a wider opening if needed
Now, the adjustable height of the feeders is where he really got creative. Ever hear of a french cleat? Yeah, me neither.
One of the major design changes I wanted to make away from “standard” was the ability to adjust the height of the feeder regardless of goat size. So, the solution to the problem was creating these french cleats! Basically, the feeder is permanently attached to the piece of wood with the “male” cleat. He then attached two different pairs of “female” cleats at two different heights that we tested and were comfortable for the different sized goats. The 1st cleat also known as the Nigerian Dwarf height (pictured right) from the top of the base to the top of the feeder itself is 12″. The 2nd cleat also known as Nubian height is 18″ from the top of the base to the top of the feeder. This makes changing the feeder heights a breeze. Simply pop the board out and pop it in the required height! This makes eating more comfortable for the goats and as a result, they will give you less grief which is always a win.
This stand truly is one of the greatest things I could ask for as far as keeping goats is concerned. All of the little tweaks, and clever customizations really makes it work for me and my herd. Maybe you’re short and don’t need a stand so tall or you only raise a certain breed and don’t need varying feeder heights. Whatever the situation, building one yourself is not hard and honestly it will save you a ton of money! Has anyone else built their own goat milk stand and customized it to their needs? Comment below, let’s hear them!
I have been milking Audrey loyally everyday, three times a day now for about a month. We have developed a nice little routine that I truly enjoy and look forward to. I bounce out of bed first thing anxious to get down to the barn, and am chomping at the bit to get started in the evening. It may lose that new feeling after a while, but that whole fresh milk everyday part will never get old.
When you first start milking a new dairy goat or cow, it can be stressful. You may have issues with them being uncooperative, or you fear did I milk them enough? Am I taking the proper precautions? You don’t want to inadvertently cause production to drop by not emptying their udder, and of course mastitis is always a concern. Because we drink our milk raw, sanitation in the process is of the upmost importance because I don’t have pasteurization as a safeguard. I have to prevent it from getting into the process in the first place, and this is where a routine comes in very handy. If you take the necessary steps and precautions everyday, two or three times a day, it becomes muscle memory and eventually you don’t even have to think about what you’re doing. The routine becomes second nature, and I take comfort knowing I can safely drink my raw milk, while doing everything possible to keep up maximum production and Audrey healthy.
What's in My Basket?
First Things First
Cleanliness. Now it’s no secret to anyone that knows me personally that I am a bit of a neat freak. Well, let’s just say it doesn’t stop at the house. My barn is always swept and tidied up before I head out after I’m doing doing whatever it is i’m doing in there. I always sweep after I milk, never before. Why? Because sweeping up dirt that’s tracked in, hay, and general dust kicks it up into the air and I don’t want that actively floating around while I’m getting my milk on and having it settle in my fresh supply. This may seem a little nuts to some, but here’s a tip….I am nuts! I also always wipe down my milk stand after I milk because well, that just makes sense.
My Routine
So, I go down to the barn, milk stand is clean, and the floors are swept. I turn on my tunes to set the mood and grab Audrey and get her on the stand. While she is munching away, I wipe the bottom of her hooves to remove any poop or hay that may be stuck on. I then wipe down her teats and udder very well with baby wipes to again remove any dirt, debris, etc she’s picked up while laying down. Then I grab a clean baby wipe and give my hands a good cleaning as well. After everything is cleaned properly, I give her a few squirts out of each teat onto the stand.
Now, some people say you have to use a “strip cup” specifically for this, or they use a paper towel. But, my stand is built out of wood, so I can see the milk clear as day on my solid base. The purpose of this is to clear out the teats of any clogs or debris that could have made its way up there, surface bacteria, and identify any blood or issues with the milk itself.
Once she has had a few good cleansing squirts, the milking game begins. Because she has such a tight udder and small teats, I start her off with the hand milker. In addition to getting a lot of milk out quickly, it helps loosen everything up and allows me to easily finish her off with hand milking. This makes for a better experience for her as well as speeding up the process. I frequently dump the milk from my measuring cup into the mason jar secured with a lid. Even the best behaved goats on the stand will let out an unexpected kick and it is a tragedy when the milk falls victim. Whoever said there’s no sense in crying over spilled milk clearly never milked an animal in their life. If she does manage to kick it over or get a foot in it, because I frequently dump, I’m only losing a little as opposed to half a day’s supply.
After she has been milked out, I give her a few good bumps of the udder to let down any milk she’s holding back from me. Emptying her udder fully at each milking will stimulate more production, while also keeping mastitis at bay. After finishing, I wipe her udder and teats down again with baby wipes, then give her a good spray with Fight Bac on each teat for extra insurance against mastitis. If she is still interested in eating, I let her hang out and nibble on grain until she loses interest and gets antsy and let her back in with her friends. I then let the cleanup crew in (read Annie) to clean up any of the overshot milk before I spray and wipe it down with my essential oil and ACV cleaner. After its been given a thorough cleaning, I collect my supplies and sweep up so everything is clean and ready for the next milking.
I hustle back to the house as quickly as possible to get the milk filtered through a mesh coffee filter into a jar. This catches any hair (it’s unavoidable) as well as anything else that has fallen into the milk and strains it out. It gets tucked in the fridge towards the back. Not only is fresh milk best serviced iced cold because it’s delicious, but it is also ideal conditions to keep bacteria levels from getting out of control. Again, the milk is raw, so all bacteria is left in tact!
I was taught how to milk by my friend Angela, whom I also got Ruby, Audrey, and Allison from. This routine has proven to work well for her over the years, and so far it has for me as well. Audrey has given me delicious raw milk that I have had no hesitation in drinking because I know it has been milked in clean conditions, and produced by a healthy goat given the utmost care and highest quality non-gmo/soy free/organic feed. Routine is good. Not only for me, where by through repetition the process is improved and becomes second nature, but for her as well. She knows what to expect, what’s coming next, and is learning to go with the flow and be more at ease. Do you have a milking routine? What works well for you?